"LOOK, LORD!"

Luke 19:1-9
1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed Him gladly. . . . 8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house."

The next time you make a high-speed merge onto the information superhighway, watch out for someone pedaling alongside! People living in the village of Ban Phon Kham, Laos, are now wired to the Internet through computers that use pedal power. One minute of bike pedaling = five minutes of online power.

Vietnam War veteran Lee Thorn came up with the idea in an effort to heal old wounds. Thorn was a bomb loader for US warplanes that flew missions over Laos. His new mission is to help the village grow economically, and to make it possible for villagers to keep in touch with loved ones. He's turning hard feelings into kindness, help, and friendship.

In Jesus' day, people in Jericho had hard feelings about the head taxman, Zacchaeus. He was a short guy who wanted to be a big shot. He was rich, he cheated people, and his neighbors probably thought he would never change. To his credit, "he wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd" (Luke 19:3). So he ran ahead and climbed a tree.

Sycamore-fig trees have low branches--easy access for someone of short stature. Its leaves and bark were used as remedies for various ailments. And Zacchaeus was about to get the biggest dose of healing he could ever imagine. All it took was one encounter with Jesus, and Zacchaeus was a new man. "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount" (v.8).

The day he met Jesus, Zacchaeus turned the hard feelings between himself and his neighbors into kindness, help, and friendship. If Jesus is your Lord, you've had just as real an encounter with Him as Zacchaeus did so many years ago--and you are a new person. Let the world see the difference Jesus has made in you. --Tracy Carbaugh

DESTINATION POINTS

* Have I had a real encounter with Jesus? What was it like?
* What would I say to Jesus if I met Him on the street?
* "Look, Lord! Here and now I give ________________."

LINKS:
If you've never had an encounter with Jesus, read
Who Is This Man Who Says He's God?
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0205

bottom line: Meeting Jesus makes all the difference.

soul journey